Towel grip



Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs vfi TOWEL GRIP IsrealJ. London, Detroit, Mich.

' Application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,357

7 Claims. (01. z11 s9 This invention relates to a towel grip and moreparticularly to a towel holder including locking'means for effectivelyretaining a portion of a towel within said holder.

Heretofore and particularly in public places such as bowling alleys, forinstance, hand towels are available for public use, and due toineffective or no securing means for the towels, large numbers thereofare stolen over a period of time representing a considerable loss to theproprietor.

It is the principal object of this invention to overcome this difficultyand eliminate such loss by incorporating within the towel holder aneffective gripping means which will prevent removal of the towel fromits holder, and at the same time leave substantially all of the towelsurfaces available for use.

It is the object of this invention to provide a hollow towel holder forreceiving an intermediate folded portion of the towel, together withtowel gripping means within said holder and associated with the insertedportion of the towel to eifectively retain the same within the towelholder.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a hollow towelholder having a throated opening adapted to receive a folded portion ofthe towel, such as at its central portion, together with floating meanswithin said holder retainingly associated with the folded portion ofsaid towel and cooperable with said'throated opening for frictionallyretaining said towel within said holder upon receipt of an outwardthrust upon one of the ends thereof.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a towel gripwithin the towel holder where the frictional locking effect increases asthe outward thrust upon the towel is increased.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the towel grip as mountedv witha portion of the towel shown in dotted lines for clarity.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the same with its hollow coverremoved to illustrate its supporting base, as mounted upon any suitablesurface.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the towel grip shown in Figure'l.

Figure 4 is an elevational section thereof taken on line 4-4 of Figure1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a different form of towelgripping means.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a slight 2 7 variation of the grippingmeans shown inFigures 1 and 4.

Figure '1 is an elevational view of the socket wrench required forremoval of the towel grip cover plate; and

Figure 8 is a left end view thereof.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely apreferable embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments arecontemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set out.

Referring to the drawing Figure 2 the towel grip consists ofsubstantially flat base H-which is attachable to any suitable preferablyupright support l2 by a plurality of screws 13 which extend throughtransvers openings in said base. Said openings are preferablycountersunk. at I4 whereby the screw heads do not project above thesurface of base H. I

Central boss l5 forming a part of base. ll has a threaded opening IE toreceive the cover plate locking bolt I'l Figures 1 and 4.

The upper edge of base II is horizontally flanged at It as shown inFigures 2 and 4 thereby providing a longitudinal slot l9 intermediatebase II and the member I2 upon which it, is secured.

The bottom edges 20 of base H converge angularly downward as viewed inFigure 2 for co operative association with the corresponding innerdownwardly converging edges 2| of cover 22 as shown in Figures 1 and 4.v .f

Hollow cover 22 has a longitudinally flanged downwardly extending coversupporting member 23 adapted for cooperative nesting within thelongitudinal slot I9 formed in the upper edge of base ll.

Said cover similarly has a longitudinal slot 24 formed in its upperinterior surface adjacent flange 23 for cooperatively receiving thelongitudinal upright flange 18 of base ll, whereby said cover plate iseffectively mounted and sup ported upon its base.

As illustrated in Figures 1 and 4 the exterior as well as the interiorof cover 22 is shaped similarly to base ll. With cover flang 23supportingly positioned within longitudinal slot IQ of base ll, theinner surfaces of said cover fit over and are correspondingly alignedwith the outer edges of said base. I

As viewed in Figure 4 a central socket wrench receiving recess 25 isformed in the front wall of cover 22, with its inner portion terminatinga bolt p ng 26 adapted for registry with t readed o ening is in base n.I

Bolt I1 is inserted within recess 25 with its threaded shank extendingthrough opening 26 for threaded locking engagement with opening [6 insaid base, whereby said cover is removably secured thereto.

Referring to Figure 4 cover 22 is formed with a pair of angularlyconverging interior walls 21 which terminate in the longitudinal slot orthroated opening 23 in the front Wall of said cover.

The central fold 29 of a hand towel 30 is projected through longitudinalslot 28 of cover 22 when the same is removed from its base, and thetriangularly shaped gripping shaft 3! is positioned against the innersurface of said fold.

Light weight shaft 3! being preferably constructed of wood, isfloatingly positioned within hollow cover 22 with the fold portion 29 ofthe towel holding said shaft forwardly within the hollow convergingportions of said cover.

Due to the weight of the towel there is a tendency for the same toconstantl maintain gripping shaft 3! forwardly and loosely within theconverging portioris 27 of said cover plate.

It will be noted in this connection that portions of the towel areinterposed between the converging portions of said cover and saidgripping element 3|.

The longitudinal apexes 32 of towel gripping shaft 3! are preferablyrounded for cooperation with the inner surfaces of the towel, and one ofsaid longitudinal apeXes is adapted to forwardly project into thelongitudinal throated opening 28 at the front of cover 22. At the sametime the corresponding converging outer walls of grip element 3! are insubstantial parallel alignment with the inwardly convergin walls 21forming a part of cover plate 22. lhe weight of the towel normally urgesgripping shaft 3! into this forward vposition.

In order to facilitate insertion of shaft 3i within the folded portion29 of the towel its end portions are bevelled at 32'.

Operation It will be seen that an outward thrust upon either of the freeends of towel 33 will cause an Outward movement of one of the apexes 32of gripping shaft 3! relative to opening 28 for frictional engagementwith portions of cover 22 corresponding to longitudinal opening 28, withthe towel interposed between said shaft and said cover. At the same timethe corresponding angularly converging edges of shaft 3| correspondingto apex 32 are in substantial parallel alignment with and are adapted tofrictionally engage inwardly converging surfaces 21 forming part ofcover 22.

It will be seen that the grip-ping action of the towel takes place byshaft 3| being wedged into the converging angular opening 21, 21, withthe converging longitudinal edges of shaft 3! frictionally bearingagainst the walls of said converging opening.

Upon receipt of an outward thrust upon one of the free ends of the towelthe longitudinal apex 32 is projected forwardly into opening 28. Withthe towel interposed between the cover and said shaft it is seen thatthe greater the outward thrust upon the towel, the greater will be thefrictional locking effect to retain the towel within its holder.

It is contemplated that any portion of the towel may be positionedaround gripping shaft 31 as said towel grip functions satisfactorilyregardless of the relative lengths of the free ends of the towel.

The socket 33 is preferably a conventional inch size having a sockethousing 34 and handle 35 joined thereto for rotating the same. However,to prevent unauthorized removal of cover securing bolts ll, the sockethousing 34 is reamed slightly reducing its outer diameter. The circularrecess 25 in cover 22 is correspondingly reduced in diameter, so that itwill not receive the conventional inch socket wrench, which anybody cansecure.

The preferable form of gripping shaft Si is shown to be substantiallytriangular in cross section, however it is contemplated that any otherpolygonal shape may be employed such as rectangular as shown in Figure5.

A variation of shaft 31 is shown in Figure 6 wherein a plurality ofparallel longitudinal grooves 35 are formed in the outer surface ofgripping shaft 3? tending to increase the gripping efiect between thetowel and the shaft, as well as the frictional force between said shaftand the converging opening of the housing corresponding to thelongitudinal slot 28.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claimswhich follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A towel grip comprising a hol ow cover havin; a horizontally slottedportion therein adapted to receive the fo?ded portion of a towel, a griping element within said co er intermediate said folded portion andsaidslotted portion for fric-v tionally retaining said towel within saidcover upon an outward thrust applied to one of the ends thereof, and astationary base shaped similarly to said cover but of reduced outsidedimension,-to which said cover is removably connected substantia lyencosing said bae.

2. A towel grip comprising a ho low cover having a horizontally slottedportion therein adapted to receive the folded portion of a towel. agripping element within said cover intermediate said folded portion andsaid slotted portion for frictionally retaining said towel within saidcover upon an outward thrust applied to one of the ends thereof, astationary base upon which said cover is removably supported. andlocking means interconnecting said cover and base.

3. A towel grip comprising a stationary base horizontally flanged alongits upper edge, a hollow cover positioned over said base and havingsupporting mean? cooperatively engaging said flange,

' said cover having a longitudinally s otted portion therein adapted toreceive the folded portion of a towel, and a gripping element withinsaid cover intermediate said folded portion and said slotted portion forfrictionally retaining said towel within said cover u on an outwardthrust applied to one of the ends thereof.

4. A towel grip comprising a stationary base horizontally flanged along.its upper edge, a hollow cover positioned over said base and havingsupporting means cooperatively engaging said flange, said cover having alongitudinally slotted portion therein adapted to receive the foldedportion of a towel a gripping element within said cover intermediatesaidfolded portion and said slotted portion for frictionally retainingsaid towel within said cover upon an outward thrust app ied to one ofthe ends thereof, and locking means interconnecting said cover and base.

5. A towel grip comprising a stationary base horizontally flanged alongits upper edge, a hollow cover positioned over said base and having adownwardly extending rearwardly positioned flanged portion cooperativelyengaging said base flange, said cover having a horizontally slottedportion therein adapted to, receive the folded portion of a towel, and agripping element within said cover intermediate said folded portion andsaid slotted portion for frictionally retaining said towel within saidcover upon an outward thrust applied to one of the ends thereof.

6. A towel grip comprising a hollow cover having a horizontally slottedportion therein adapted to receive the folded portion of a towel, agripping element Within said cover intermediate said folded portion andsaid slotted portion for frictionally retaining said towel within saidcover upon an outward thrust applied to one of the ends thereof, astationary base upon which said cover is removably supported, said coverhaving a countersunk opening therein, and a bolt extending through saidopening and threadably engaging said base.

7. A towel grip comprising a stationary base horizontally flangedforwardly of its upper edge defining a longitudinal slot, a hollow coverpositioned over said base and having at its rear a downwardly extendinglongitudinal flange supportingly positioned within said longitudinalslot, said cover having a longitudinally slotted portion therein adaptedto receive the folded portion of a towel, a gripping element looselypositioned within said cover intermediate said folded portion and saidslotted portion for frictionally retaining said towel within said coverupon an outward thrust applied to one of the ends thereof, and lockingmeans extending through said cover and into said base for removablysecuring said cover thereon.

ISREAL J. LONDON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,248,732 Shave Dec. 4, 1917FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,533 Denmark July 7, 1913

